Abyssal Woods is one of the secret locations that you will be able to unlock in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. It’s one of the hardest locations to conquer in the Land of Shadow and to get there you will need to go through a lot of hoops and jumps.
It’s pretty hard to reach the Abyssal Woods but once you get there you will be completely surrounded by a fog wall. The region is very hard to navigate and to make matters worse you will have to explore the area on foot.
Here is a guide on how you will be able to reach the Abyssal Woods secret area in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.
How to unlock Abyssal Woods in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
1) Head to the Shadow Keep legacy dungeon
To reach the Abyssal Woods in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, you will first need to make your way to the Shadow Keep legacy dungeon. Once you are inside it, you will need to:
- Take down the Golden Hippopotamus that is guarding the main entrance. You will now need to head to the Specimen Storehouse.
- So make your way along the ramparts and barracks till you reach the path that leads into it. You will find a lift that is guarded by a Fire Knight.
- Here you will find a ladder that is tucked away. Once you head through the canal you will find another ladder that leads into the painting room.
- Hit the painting, which is an illusion. It will now make way for a tunnel which you can follow to encounter a large coffin.
2) Reach the Ruins of Unte
You will need to interact with the coffin and there will be a brief cutscene, after which you will wake up near a watering hole. This is the lake below Shadow Keep that leads into the Ruins of Unte.
For the next part you will need to:
- Keep following the Recluses River downstream. However, it’s advised that you explore the area as you keep heading to the Abyssal Woods in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.
- Along the way, you will find the East Nameless Mausoleum, along with Dryleaf Dane’s set at the base of a waterfall. You will also get a summon along with some Hippopotamus boss that drops a Scadutree Fragment.
- As you move downstream you will eventually come across the Darklight Catacombs amid the mist-covered plateau. You will be required to complete this dungeon to move on to the next step.
- However, the dungeon is pretty big and houses some of the most annoying enemies in the DLC. Additionally, it’s hard to navigate as you will find several floors that are completely black. Make sure you are pulling the levers nearby to light the torches. You can also make progression easier by using Glowstones.
3) Defeat Inquisitor Jori
Once you reach the end of the Darklight Catacombs you will fight the final dungeon boss, Inquisitor Jori. It’s not too difficult an encounter just make sure to dodge the holy projectiles that he shoots out.
He will conjure a tornado as well and even summon other inquisitors. Hit all the summons till you find the actual boss, as Jori’s health is pretty low, you will be able to take the boss down in a few hits. Use a Spirit Ash if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Once you beat Jori, the boss will drop the Barbed Staff-Spear, which is one of the 95 new weapons that dropped in Shadow of the Erdtree.
Now exit the Darklight Catacombs and you will find yourself in the Abyssal Woods.
What to expect in the Abyssal Woods?
Apart from the perpetual fog that blocks your sight, here are a few things that you can expect from the Abyssal Woods:
1) No Torrent: You will need to explore it on foot
You will not be able to call up Torrent in the secret area. He will be too scared to come out, and you will have to explore the entire region on foot.
2) Beware of the Madding Hand
The Madding Hand is an invader-type enemy that you will face here. He carries a weapon that inflicts the Madness status ailment. You can kill him to get your hands on the weapon.
3) Getting ganked by mutant mushroom enemies
As you explore the area you will come across these mutant enemies with large sporadic mushrooms growing on their head. They will chase you down and keep inflicting the madness status effect on you.
These enemies are mostly invulnerable, and it’s best to avoid them. The majority of your time in Abyssal Woods will be to stay hidden and avoid getting detected. However, you can parry them and get a Rispote off.
Once they are parried they will start taking damage. Unfortunately, it’s a very risky strategy and you will keep dying over and over again if you mess up your timings.
What is the main objective in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree’s Abyssal Woods?
While there are a lot of points of interest (5-ish) on the map, the main thing that you want to explore is the Midra’s Manse located in the southwest. While it’s an optional dungeon, you will get to fight Midra Lord of Frenzied Flame who drops the Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied Flame.
The Abyssal Woods is by far one of the hardest regions to explore in any FromSoftware title.
